Automatic hatchway shut-off



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

5T. LIBBY, E.M. CHRISTIAN & W. S. DWINNELL.

AUTQMATIG HATGHWAY SHUT-OPF.

2 sheets+sheen 2.-

(No Model.)

T. LIBBY, E. M. CHRISTIAN 82: W. S. DWINNELI..

AUTOMATIC HATGHWAY SHUT-OFI?.

No. 550,022. Patented Nov. I9, 1895.

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ANDREW E GRAHAM. PHOTOUMQWASMNGTUPIE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LIBEY, EDWARD M. CHRISTIAN, AND WILLIAM s. DWINNELL, OE

- MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. n

AUTOMATIC HATCHWAY SHUTOFF.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,022, dated November 19, v1895.

Application filed October l, 1894.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS LIRBY, ED- WARD M. CHRISTIAN, and WILLIAM S. DWIN- NELL, Of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and Improved Automatic Hatchway Shut-Off, of which the following is a specilioation. l

Our invention relates to hatches for closing the openings leading from oor to floor in light wells, and particularly in elevatorshafts; and the object we have in View is to provide a series of hatches suspended from the top of the shaft or well and arranged to be raised or lowered independently of the elevator proper, in combination with an antomatic releasing mechanism whereby in case of lire in the building the hoisting apparatus will be automatically released to'permit the hatches to fall from the suspended positionk and close the openings, thereby preventing spread of iire through the shaft.

Our invention consists, generally, in a series of hatches connected together by suitable cords or chains at intervals corresponding to the space between the iioors, said hatches being connected to a vsuitable hoisting mechanism, and a cord connected to a friction device for controlling the hoisting mechanism, said cord or chain extending to various parts of the building and being provided at intervals with links designed tofuse at a high temperature, thereby disengaging the friction mechanism and allowing the hatches to fall.

Our invention further consists in the constructions and combinations hereinafter, described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. A

kIn the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figure l is a vertical section of a building showing an elevator-shaft with a' series of hatches suspended at the top thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the hatches falling down the shaft after the friction device has been disengaged from the hoisting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one iioor of a building, showing the cord or chain strung around it and the links in the cord. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hoisting mechanism. FigJ is a plan' view of a portion Vof the floor around an elevator-shaft, showing the hatch Serin 110.524,554. (No moat-.1.)

closing the opening. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views.

' In the drawings, 2 represents an elevatorshaft of any suitable size and height. It is provided with the usual vertical timbers 3, and at the top of the shaft is a sheave 4:, over which the cable 5, supporting the elevator, passes. We do not consider it necessary to show either the elevator proper or the mechanism for operating it, as neither has anything to do with our present invention.

n Arranged at the -top of the elevator-shaft are a series of hatches or shutters 6, corresponding in number to the number of floors in the building and sliding in guides 3 upon the vertical timbers 3. The hatches may be made of any suitable material. We prefer, however, to construct them of wood covered with sheet metal. They are strung together by chains or cords connecting each hatch, preferably at points near its corners, with the hatch immediately aboveor below it. The shutters or hatches are each provided with notches or slots on the sides adjacent to the guides 3', and the lower shutter is vprovided -With the short channel-bar guides 21, which are secured to the under side of the lower shutter and extend vertically up through the slots in the edges thereof, and are adapted to slide up and down over the guides 3 with the lower shutter. When the shutters are brought together, the guides 21 pass up through the slots in the edges of those above the V lower one. The guides 21 are providedwith rollers 22 on the under side of the lower shutter, which engage the guides 3'and prevent the shutters from binding and stopping at any point in the shaft except at the openings leading from floor to floor.

f The upper shutter or hatch is suspended from the ceiling by chains or cords 7. These chains are of such a length as to permit the shutter to fit over the opening in the eleva` IOO The elevator-cable 5 passes through an opening near the center of cach shutter, the openings being of sufficient size to allow the shutters to slide freely up and down the cable.

Mounted above the hatches and near the elevator-sheave l is the shutter-sheave 8. A cord or chain 9 passes over this sheavc through an opening in each of the shutters, and one cnd is secured to the under side of the lower shutter in any suitable way, while the other end is secured to a suitable hoisting mechan ism located, preferably, near the upper end of the shaft.

The hoisting device consists of a suitable frame 10, in which is mounted a drum 11, around which the cord 9 is wound. A shaft 12 is connected with the drum by suitable gearing, and is provided with a crank 13, by means of which the drum may be revolved. Upon the shaft 12 is mounted a friction-puiley 1l. A governor 15, of the ordinary type, is mounted on the frame of the hoisting-machine above the friction-pulley, and the lower end of the governor-shaft is provided with a brake-shoe 1G to engage the flictiowpulley. A lever 17 is connected to the brake-shoe and extends out from the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. A cord or chain 18 is connected to the free end of the lever 17 and passes over the pulleys 23, 24, and 25, and thence to some distant point in the building. Branches may lead out from the main chain or cord in various directions, and at intervals in the main chain and its branches we insert fusible links which melt at a low temperature. A weight 2G is attached to the chain 1S at a point preferably near the lever 17.

The operation of the device is as follows: Should a fire break out in a building at any point, it would soon come in contact with one of the fusible links and melt it. The fusing of one of the links would of course allow the weight 26 to fall and disengage the brake mechanism from the friction-pulley. The weight of the shutters will start the hoisting mechanism, and as they fall down the shaft a shutter will be left at every floor, the upper shutter being supported by chains from the roof and each of the succeeding shutters by chains or cords connected to the shutter immediately preceding. If the weight of the shutters causes the hoisting mechanism to run too rapidly, the governor will apply the brake to the friction-pulley and reduce the speed.

It is obvious that as many shutters maybe used as desired, according to the height of the building, and that t-he shutters may be arranged so that one will be left at every iioor or every other iioor, or at any particular floor or floors that it is desired to separate as much as possible from the others in case of iire.

At night the automatic attachment maybe disconnected and the shutters lowered or allowed to fall to close the openings, so as entirely to separate the floors, in which posi- Having thus described our invention, we i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a device of the class described, thc combination of a series of shutters suspended in an elevator shaft above the elevator and moved independently of the same, said shutters being connected together and adapted respectively to close the openings in said shaft leading from floor to floor, means for raising said shutters independently of said elevator and means for automatically releasing the same, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination, of a series of shutters suspended independently of the elevator from the top of the shaft, said shutters being connected to gether and adapted respectively to close the openings in said shaft leading from iioor to fioor, and means for raising said shutters independently of the elevator to the top of said shaft, or lowering them to close the openings therein, substantially as described.

The combination of a series of shutters adapted respectively to close the openin g in the several iioors of an elevator shaft, and suspended independently of the elevator, with a hoisting device, also independent of the elevator and a chain or cable connecting said hoisting device with the lower shutter of the series, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination, of a series of shutters suspended in an elevator shaft, one above the other, above the elevator proper and supported from the top of said shaft independently of said elevator, said shutters bein g iire-proof and adapted respectively to close the openings in said shaft leading from ioor to floor, a hoisting device, a chain or cable connecting said hoisting device with the lower shutter of said series, whereby the shutters may be drawn up together independently of the elevator proper into the top of said shaft and lowered to close the respective openings in said shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination, of a series of shutters suspended in the elevator shaft above the elevator, and supported independently of the same, said shutters being covered with sheet metal, and being connected together, and adapted respectively to close the openings in said shaft leading from floor to ioor, a hoisting device, means connecting said hoisting device with the lower shutter of said series, whereby the shutters may be raised to the top of said shaft independently of the :movement of the elevator, or released to close the openings in the elevator shaft leading from floor to floor, a friction pulley in connection with said hoist ing device, a brake mechanism for engaging IOO IIO

said friction pulley, and means for automatically throwing said brake mechanism out of engagement with said pulley, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination 0f a series of fire proof shutters suspended in an elevator shaft, said shutters being connected together and adapted to close respectively the openings in said shaft leading from floor to floor, a hoisting device, means connecting said hoisting device with the lower shutter of said series, afriction pulley in connection with said hoisting device, a brake mechanism for engagingsaid friction pulley, means for automatically throwing said brake out of engagement with said pulley, and a governor for regulating the speed of said hoisting device after the brake has been disengaged from said pulley, substantially as described. p

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a series of fire proof shutters suspended in an elevator shaft, said shutters being connected together and adapted respectively to close the openings in said shaft leading from iioor to iioor, a hoisting device, means connecting said hoisting device with the lower shutter of said series, a friction pulley in connection with said hoisting device, a brake mechanism for engaging said friction pulley, a lever connected with said brake mechanism, a chain or cord having one end connected to said lever, and its opposite end secured, a weight attached to said cord and fusible links at intervals in said cord, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 14th day of September, A.v D. 1894.

THOMAS LIBBY. EDWARD M. CHRISTIAN. WILLIAM S. DWINNELL.

In presence of- F. S. LYON, RICHARD PAUL. 

